To Understand A Mockingbird
by rpgplayer658
Summary: Not much time has passed since Dill moved in, and Jem can't seem to get people off his back about not having a girl. Sam has moved in with them, and his old friend from college, Emily, who is now Maycomb's school nurse. Jem see's a girl who is hurt, and he treats her wound, and learns that she is homeless, and Jem feels that he must help her. Can he? Scout/Dill, OC/OC, and Jem/OC.
1. Prologue

A lot of people wondered at my school why I didn't have a girlfriend, but the answer was plain simple: I just didn't think any of the girls were right for me, they were kind of too girly for me; I don't mean to be sexist, but I wanted someone competent, not annoying. That was just how it was for me, and I didn't really mind all that much, but I did wonder a lot of the times if I would find someone.

I guess I should introduce myself… My name is Jeremy Finch, but everyone calls me Jem.

When I was young, I didn't have a care in the world; I would play with my sister, Scout (Her real name is Jean Louise, but that to me is just too long for a first name), and my best friend, Dill. We did a lot of things together, like making a play of Dracula, Tarzan, and eventually Boo Radley's life story, which my father, Atticus, put a stop to, because we were only going of rumors, and it was very rude. Atticus was a defense attorney, and was my idol; he was not only a gentleman, but a really kind man, if he was told to defend a Negro, he would do his damndest to help them, even though his chances were small when it came to those cases. I learned that the hard way with Tom Robinson. Tom was a black man accused of raping a white girl named, Mayella Ewell, and despite the evidence saying otherwise, people still found him guilty… Everyone who had experience tried to warn me, but I was too confident that Atticus would win, and Tom would go free, but it didn't turn out that way, and anyone who had sympathy for Tom, was criticized by the town drunk, Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell was the most hated man in Maycomb! Not only did he molest his kids, but he tried to kill me and my sister while we were walking home! Thankfully my sister didn't take off her costume when Bob attacked her, and luckily I was able to stall enough time for Boo to notice that we were in trouble; I wasn't intending for that, but I'm glad he saved us, and I was glad that Scout was safe. I did complain about my broken arm, which was now shorter than right arm, but when I think about it now, I would take a broken arm, over a dead family member any day of the week. It was around that time I started to loosen up a bit, and this didn't go unnoticed by Scout.  
I remember how it went down clear as day, it was in February, and my birthday had just passed, when Scout commented: "Now that you're thirteen, I bet you think you can say whatever you want me, don't you?"  
I looked at her with remorse, she was having a lot of nightmares, and although she didn't know it, I would stay up and hold her hand until she calm down, but I was too embarrassed to admit this until that day. "Scout, I can only tell you what to do when I can, and when has that ever happened?" She looked at me confused, and I couldn't help but laugh at face she was giving… Scout didn't really appreciate it. "You makin' fun of me?!"  
I stopped laughing, and I told her to come here. She did so, and I gave her a hug. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry for being a jerk to you…" I said to her.  
Scout looked at me even more confused, and I could tell that she thought I was pranking her, but when she started showing concern for me when she realized that I wasn't. "Jem, what's gotten into you? You hardly ever say apologize to me…"  
Until Bob Ewell attacked me, I always took my sister for granted, but when I saw Bob slash at her, I realized how much she meant me… Scout was my baby sister, and I had been nothing but a jerk to her; I felt guilty for all things I had done to her, and I was planning to make it up to her.  
"I won't let anyone else hurt you ever again, just let me know when someone tries to hurt you, and I'll come running to you, even if you're on the other side of the world…"  
I was shaking; Bob's attempt to kill us affected me as well, but not in the same way it did to Scout.  
"So, were you the one who held my hand when I was having those nightmares, Jem?"  
"Yes…"  
Scout looked down, and she smiled lightly. "Thank you…"  
Atticus saw us that day, and he told me that he was proud that I was growing up to be a good older brother.

I was glad that I had Scout for a sister, and I was also glad that she and Dill were dating. You're probably wondering why I trusted Dill so much, aren't you? Well, to make a long story short, I started thinking about what if Scout and Dill got together, and naturally I wasn't keen on the idea, but the more I really thought about it, the more I realized that I saw Dill not as a best friend, but as little brother, and I started seeing him in a new light afterwards. Dill was neglected by his folks; he didn't really tell anyone but Scout, and I overheard him on that night, but I pretended that I didn't. It wasn't until the summer of 1936 that he fully admitted it, and by that time, a new lawyer came down to work with Atticus; his name was Samuel Tailor, but we called him Sam. When Sam learned of Dill's issue he took his case immediately, and he succeeded in proving that Dill's folks neglected. He now had custody over Dill, and was trying to move into our house, but our house was small, so he decided to stay at Ms. Rachel's until further notice.  
It was now November, and we had decided that Sam could stay in my room, as my room was the biggest; I had no problems with this, but moving his stuff in wasn't easy, needless to say it was a pain, but we got it done, and our room looked similar to a college dorm, which Sam didn't hesitate to note: "Sorry, I turned your room into a college dorm, Jem."  
"It's fine…" I responded.  
"So, how are Dill and Scout doing?" Sam asked.  
"Scout started having nightmares, and Dill stayed with her all night. I don't even know if he had gotten any sleep." I answered.  
"I'm still surprised that you and Atticus are okay with him sleeping with Scout and vice-versa." Sam stated.  
"Dill, thought the same actually, and he has started giving himself boundaries after that day. What he doesn't know, is that we were testing him to see if he would have noticed that he needed boundaries. Needless to say, he passed." I explained.  
"Sounds just like him… Oh, hi Dill." I looked at the doorway, there was Dill tapping his foot, and with his arms crossed; I swore that this kid could just pop up out of nowhere when you least expected it.  
"I had a feeling that was the case…" Dill stated.  
"Yeah..." I responded. "Do you really think we were going to be okay with you sleeping with my sister?"  
"That's what was so confusing," Dill answered. "When I asked Atticus if he was okay with it, and he said that he trusted me, I sighed in disbelief, I didn't think that you were okay with me crossing my boundaries."  
"Well, we figured that if you really loved her, than you would have figured it out on your own." I explained.  
"That's the way it happened, Dill." Sam stated.  
"You're not angry are you?" I asked, worried  
"Angry?! Of course not, I really do love Scout, but there are boundaries that just can't be crossed before marriage. I explained this to her, and we both agreed to do certain things, such as sleep together, when we desperately needed it." Dill answered.  
"That's good…"  
"And how well is going so far?" Sam asked, smirking.  
"Pretty well, actually." Dill answered.  
Dill looked at his watch, his father gave that to him before he died; it's a long story, but Dill's father was deathly ill, and Dill decided to spend his last few days with him, before he went back to Meridian. That was around 10 months ago at that point, and it felt like years ago. Dill had been through alot, poor kid, and I was glad when he said that he wanted to stay with us; it was really like having a little brother around the house.  
"Hey Sam, don't you have to pick up the new school nurse?" Dill asked.  
"Oh, that's right, her train will arrive in about 15 minutes." Sam answered, getting his car keys.  
"Can we go with you?" I asked.  
"Sure." Sam answered.  
"I'm going to get Scout." Dill said, heading to her room.  
"Alright, don't take long." I responded.  
We took Sam's car to Maycomb Junction, and when we got there, we saw a woman with short black hair, a blouse, and a skirt that was cut down from above the knees.  
"Why is her skirt cut that low?" I asked.  
Scout smacked me in the head, she probably thought I was being a pervert. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Jem!" She scolded.  
"I was just asking!" I stated.  
"That's just the way she is." Sam got out of the car, and called her name: "Hey Emily, over here!"  
The woman, whose name was Emily, came down and said, "Is that you, Samuel? I'll be damned, I didn't think it was possible for you to get any more handsome!"  
"Thanks Emily…" Sam said, turning red. Which made all of us chuckle. Sam wasn't really prone to being embarrassed.  
"Who are they, Samuel?" Emily asked.  
Dill got out first, and introduced himself: "My name is Dill Harris, it's nice to meet you Ms... What's your last name?"  
"Just call me, Emily," She answered. "I'm only a few months younger than Samuel here."  
"When is your birthday anyway?" Dill asked.  
"December 18th." Sam answered.  
Scout and I got out next, and I introduced myself: "My name is Jeremy Finch, but everyone calls me Jem."  
"Pleasure to meet you, Jem…" Emily said, shaking my hand.  
Scout was last to introduce herself. "I'm Jean Louise Finch, but I usually go by Scout."  
"Nice to meet you, Scout…" Emily said, smiling.  
"Are you a tomboy, Emily?" Scout asked.  
"Yeah, why do you ask?"  
"She's a tomboy as well." I answered.  
"Oh… Well that explains the pants." Emily stated.  
"Why is your skirt cut down to your knees, don't people criticize you?" Scout asked.  
"They do… I just don't give a damn." Emily answered.  
Scout and Emily got along immediately, and all I could think was that Scout has another female friend who isn't her age. However, I just threw that thought aside, and I started wondering what his relation to her was. "Sam, how do you know her?" I asked.  
"We went to the same campus, and she was one the first friends I made, along with a guy named, Charlie." Sam answered.  
"I was down in Chicago, and I hated every single bit of it! The boss got on my nerves, I had a good mind to quit, and I have taken all I could… Needless to say, when a friend of Sam's said that, they needed a new school nurse down in small town Maycomb, and with that, it was time for me to git up and git, and move to another town!" Emily told.  
"Are the cities that bad?" Dill asked.  
"No, but I do prefer small towns." Emily answered.  
"Another thing, are you a racist?" I asked, firmly.  
"Fuck segregation." Emily answered.  
"Well, that answers my question." I responded, surprised at her answer.  
"I like her already…" Scout stated.  
"So Emily, do you like Sam?" Dill asked, elbowing her.  
Emily turned a little red, but kept her composure.  
"We'll see how it goes." Emily answered.  
"Dill, we're gonna catch up with each other, and see where it goes from there." Sam explained.  
"Okay." Dill responded, smiling.  
We got in Sam's car, and we showed Emily around the neighborhood.  
"Where are you staying, Emily?" I asked.  
"I'll be staying with a Miss Maudie Atkinson." Emily answered.  
"She's a friend of the family, and she is one of the few people in this town who isn't prejudiced." Scout stated.  
"I'm assuming you're all part of that few, am I right?" Emily asked, curious.  
"Yes," Sam answered. "But Atticus Finch, their father, is against racism, even to the point that he would defend a Negro."  
"I know about that case…" Emily responded.  
We all looked down, and Emily could tell how that trial affected us, she then explained to us that, she looked up what happened it this town recently, so she knew what had happened to us.  
"How's your arm, Jem?" Emily asked.  
"It's a bit annoying that it's smaller than my other arm, but other than that it's fine." I answered.  
"I'll take a look at it when we get to your fathers." She said.  
I was about to protest, but then I remembered that I was on the football team, and I'm no good with a broken arm.

Sure enough, Emily kept her word. She introduced herself to Atticus, and then sat me down.  
"Now, let me see it." She demanded.  
I rolled up my sleeve, and my hand was still screwed up to hell and back.  
"He really did a number to it, but it should be able to properly go back into place by the time you graduate, but don't put too much strain on it or it will break." Emily explained, inspecting my hand.  
"So it isn't permanent, Ms. Emily?" Atticus asked, looking hopeful.  
"He broke it bad, but the bones should readjust themselves, but when they do, it will hurt like hell." Emily answered.  
"Alright, when my hand starts feeling sore, I'll take a leave from football, so it can heal." I said, deciding what was best for me.  
"That would be smart…" Emily then looked at Dill and Scout, and they were sleeping hand in hand on the couch, and Emily face told me that she found this adorable.  
"Those two are dating, and they serious about their relationship." I explained.  
"They're so cute together… I hope they last." Emily stated.  
"Have you seen these two?! They're stuck with each other!" Sam responded.  
"I guess I'll escort you to Maudie's place." Sam declared.  
"That would be great, thanks Sam." Emily responded, as they left the house.  
"I hope they get together." I said, outloud.  
"I hope they do too, son." Atticus responded.  
I took a look at Dill and Scout, and looked pretty comfortable, and in truth I didn't want to wake them, but it was up to Atticus. "Should we wake them?"  
"They would be more comfortable in a bed, son." Atticus answered.  
"I don't really want to wake them." I admitted.  
"I'll do it. You go ahead and get your sleep, son." Atticus said, gently.  
"Yes sir."  
I headed to my room, and I put my pajamas on. I was happy that Sam had a potential girl, but little did I know was that I was soon about to meet a girl that would catch my eye.


	2. Everybody's Got a Home But Me

I was in the middle of Abbottville, I was told to get two first aid kits, one for our house, and the other for Emily; she had her own, but she told me that an extra wouldn't hurt. It was then I saw a girl my age with an injured hand, and with someone chasing her. I then noticed a donut shop with a broken window, and I put two and two together. I suddenly got the impulse to help her, and I step in front of the shopkeeper.  
"Sir, I don't think you need to chase after her, she was just hungry." I said, in front of her.  
"Hungry or not, that doesn't mean she has to steal, she has to pay like everyone else." The shopkeeper explained.  
He was right, but I wasn't going to back down that easily, she needed a doctor not a jail. I turned around and I asked her, "Do you have any money?" I asked.  
She nodded.  
I turned around to the shopkeeper, and I gave him whatever change I had left. "This should be enough, to buy her a donut, right?" I asked.  
"Yes, but she broke the window, she has to pay for that as well." The shopkeeper stated.  
"I'll come and cover it up next Saturday." I said, willing to work it off.  
"Okay, I'll let her off the hook, but if she does it again, I'm going to call the police, do you understand?"  
"Yes sir." I answered.  
The shopkeeper gave me the donut I paid for, and I took her to a nearby bench.  
"How's your hand?" I asked.  
"It hurts like hell." She answered.  
"Let me take a look." I grabbed her wrist, and her hand was cut from breaking the glass; although, I had little knowledge of patching a wound, I grabbed the first aid kit I bought, and I put some disinfectant on a cotton ball, and I padded it a little, I then grabbed a bandage wrap, and I wrapped it up as best as I could.  
Once I was done patching her up, I gave her the donut I bought, and she gobbled it down faster than I could blink. "Thank you…"  
"No problem…" I responded.  
"Why'd you help me?" She asked.  
"Because it looked to me that you need help, you had no intention of stealing, you just had to." I answered.  
"Don't pretend to understand me." She said, angrily.  
"I don't understand you, but I can understand your reasoning…" I explained.  
"Oh… My name is Julie." She introduced herself, and gave her hand that wasn't injured.  
"Jeremy Finch, but you can call me Jem."  
"Thanks for patching me up, Jem." Julie said, smiling.  
"Do you live here, Julie?" I asked.  
"No, I just arrived her a couple days ago." She answered.  
"Then maybe you should go lie down and recuperate, you need some rest." I suggested.  
"I don't feel like lying down, a little jumpy from the trip riding all night." Julie said, stretching.  
"Good trip?" I asked.  
"Lousy."  
"Where did you come from?" I asked.  
"Scooted out of Frisk over South 101, bummed a ride as far San Jose, rode aboard a Greyhound till I hit Monterrey, and I used the rest to take for the train fare, but I've seen a lot of things along the way, and I did a lot of thinking along the way." Julie answered.  
"What did you see?" I asked, curious.  
"I rode by a house, with the windows lighted up, looking pretty as Christmas tree, and I rode by another house where the moon was on the porch, and a girl was on her fella's knees, and I said to myself as I rode by myself, 'Everybody's got a home but me'…" Julie answered looking down.  
I didn't have to ask what she meant; I knew she was saying that she didn't have a home.  
"You live in house around here?" Julie asked.  
"Down in Maycomb." I answered.  
"You mean the place that is boring as hell!?"  
"The same place, although it isn't as boring as people say it is, if you can handle uneducated bigots, it's actually hard for me personally, but I live there with my family." I answered.  
"Sure, you hardly ever meet somebody who doesn't live somewhere." Julie stated.  
I couldn't really understand why she was homeless, she seemed like a fun person to be around with.  
"Well, see ya."  
"Where are you gonna go?" I asked.  
"Don't know…" She answered.  
"I guess you'll land on your feet somewhere." I stated, sadly.  
"I am on my feet!" Julie stated. "I am free and I'm happy to be free, to be free in the way I want to be, but once in awhile, when I'm talking to myself, and there's no one there to disagree, I look up and I cry, to the big empty sky, won't there ever be home for me somewhere?!"  
She may have seemed tough, but I could tell that she longed for a friend, and I wasn't about to leave her alone. "You still hungry?" I asked.  
"Yeah…" Julie answered, confused.  
"I'm taking you back to Maycomb, you can't wander for the rest of your life." I answered.  
"Thank you, Jem, but…" Julie began to so. I wasn't taking no for an answer, so I grabbed her hand, and I called for a taxi.

When we got to the town, I took her to my house, and she was being quiet; I hadn't realized that I was still holding her hand.  
"Jem, you can let go of my hand. I'm not going to run away." Julie said, blushing.  
I looked down at our hands, and I started blushing. I let go, and said I was sorry.  
"You're kind of cute when you're blushing." She stated.  
I was blushing harder, but I quickly regained my composure, and I opened the door.  
"Afternoon Cal, I got the stuff we need, and I met someone who needed something eat, and she doesn't have any money, can you make another plate?" I saw Calpurnia cooking the food, and I could tell that Julie was having a hard time controlling herself.  
"What's her name?" Calpurnia asked.  
"I just met her today, her name is Julie, and she really needs help, Cal." I answered, honestly.  
"Alright, bring her in… Dinner will be ready, in a few minutes." Calpurnia said, smiling.  
I brought her in, and she was very cautious around Calpurnia, and I asked her, "You don't hate Negroes, do you?"  
"No, it's just I'm still trying to comprehend what's going on." Julie answered.  
"I see…"  
"Jem, I'll just wait here, you go and explain who I am to everyone in the house." Julie sat down in a chair, and started chatting with Calpurnia.  
I had no reason to worry, so I brought everyone to the living room, and I explained to them what happened.  
"Jem, you aren't doing this to woo her, are you?" Scout asked.  
"Scout, you know I would never play someone like that." I answered.  
"Sorry…"  
"It's fine…"  
"She must have a reason to be homeless." Dill stated.  
"If she does, it's none of our business, if she wants to tell us later that's her choice, but what's important right now is that she needs a place to stay, and I was thinking of having Miss Maudie look after, she is already looking after Emily." I wanted her to have a home, she was clearly in need of a friend, and I couldn't just leave her like that.  
"I'll go give her a call." Sam said, heading for the telephone.  
"Connect me to Ms. Atkinson," Sam demanded, on the phone. "Is that you, Emily? Okay, can you relay a message to Maudie? Tell her that we have someone in need of a place to stay…" Sam didn't hear the phone hang up, so he kept phone on, and waited for their response. "What did she say? She's going to allow her to stay? Good, thanks for helping out, Em'…" Sam hanged up, and came back to us.  
"That was very brave of you, Jem." Atticus said, gently.  
"She needed help, Atticus, and I felt like I couldn't turn my back on her." I answered.  
"Do you like her?" Dill asked, smirking.  
I carefully thought about this, and answered, "It's still too early to say, let's just leave it at that."  
"That's fine with me, but what's her name?" Dill asked, curious.  
"Julie." I answered.  
"Well Jem, it looks like you're going to have to be this girl moral compass." Sam stated.  
"I'll do what I can to help her."


	3. Julie's New Home

We all sat down at the table, and I introduced everyone to Julie. Julie still seemed to be in a daze, and for the most part I couldn't blame her. I mean, I did kind of force her to eat her dinner with us. Julie seemed to be afraid of Atticus presence, and he seemed well aware of this.  
"Young lady, you don't have to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you, I promise…" Atticus said, trying to make Julie feel welcome. Julie seemed to listen, as she started looking not as tense, and she began to eat.  
"Now," Atticus began. "Jem told me your name is Julie, is that right?"  
She nodded.  
"Can you tell us where you came from?"  
Julie seemed to hesitate, so I answered for her. "San Francisco, California."  
"That's near the west coast." Dill stated.  
"I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but don't you think you should all introduce yourselves, before you start asking me questions?" Julie asked, with a rough tone.  
"Where are my manners? My name is Atticus Finch, I'm Jem's father, and a lawyer." Atticus said.  
"My name is Jean Louise, but I go by Scout most of the time." Scout said.  
"I'm Dill Harris, and to make a long story short, my folks neglected me, and they are now bringing me up." Dill said.  
"He's also my sister's boyfriend." I added. Dill and Scout started staring daggers at me, and I stated: "Well it's the truth, and she was going to find out eventually."  
Julie just started giggling, she seemed to be warming up to us rather quickly.  
"My name is Samuel Tailor. I'm a lawyer who works with Atticus, and I'm also Dill's guardian." Sam said.  
"You already know Calpurnia, she is kind of like a second mother to us." I admitted.  
"Don't worry, I won't say anything." Julie said, knowing what people would say if I said this to anyone else.  
As if on cue, Calpurnia came in the kitchen and grabbed the nearest kitchen. "I see you liked my food." Calpurnia stated. I looked down at her plate, and I saw that it was cleared of any food.  
"How long has the plate been empty?" I asked.  
"Just finished it." Julie answered. I sighed in relief; I didn't want her to get sick by eating too fast. We all soon finished our meals, and she was well prepared for our questions.  
"What happened to your hand?" Scout asked, curious.  
"Don't ask questions you already know the answers to, Scout…" Julie answered.  
"Just testin' you." Scout admitted.  
"And did I pass?" Julie asked, smirking.  
"You're good." Scout answered, leaning back.  
Dill was the next one to ask a question: "Where are your folks?"  
"They passed away when I was 10." Julie answered.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any tragic memories." Dill responded, with guilt.  
"My daddy raised me to always be strong, and to take on the world, so I try not to let it bother me too much, but I do still miss them." Julie admitted, softly.  
I was beginning to feel sorry for her; Julie was definitely a strong and independent girl, but she couldn't hide that she was longing for a friend. She reminded me a little of Mayella, but only a little.  
"Why are you so far from home, Miss Julie?" Atticus asked.  
"I… I just needed to get out of that place." Julie answered, quickly.  
"Do you have anything with you, Julie?" Sam asked, gently.  
"Just this bag of clothes, and a few books." Julie answered.  
"How did you get them?" I asked.  
"I stole them, not like I had much choice."  
Sam and Atticus just looked at each other, and they both chose to agree with her. "It's a bad to steal, but it's like you said, "You didn't have much choice." Atticus said, adjusting his glasses.  
"I overheard you guys talk in the living room," Julie said, standing up. "So, you all are going to have me stay with this Maudie?"  
"That's right." I answered. "You need a place to stay, Julie, and Miss Maudie was the first person who came to mind."  
"That's awfully kind, but do you think she'll take someone like me?" Julie asked.  
"Of course."  
"And what makes you so sure?"  
Scout got up, and answered the question: "Miss Maudie has always been there for us when we needed her, she will be willing to help a stranger get back on their feet."  
"I am on my feet!" Julie protested.  
"Sorry… My point is that, she won't give a damn what people say to her, she will do what she feels like, and ignore everyone's opinions." Scout said, showing her respect to Miss Maudie.  
Out of all the adults in this town, Miss Maudie was one of the few who we actually had respect for; she knew Atticus since he was a boy, and she always gave us advice when we truly needed it.  
"Alright," Julie grabbed her bags, and she went to the door. "Jem, can you escort me to her house?"  
"Sure, just let me get the other first aid kit." I grabbed the first aid kit, and I started towards Miss Maudie's house.

"You'll really like her, Julie, I just know you will." I stated, as we walked.  
Julie stopped dead in her tracks, and I asked what was eating her.  
"Why are you doing this for me, Jem? We've just met, and yet you feel that you must help me for some reason... Why is that?"  
I thought about this carefully, why did I want to help her? I couldn't figure it out myself; I just saw that she needed help, and I rushed to her aid without any second thoughts. "Because I couldn't turn my back on you."  
Julie sighed, and made an offhand comment: "You are such a gentleman, but I guess that what makes you interesting."  
I smirked, and we continued walking to Maudie's house; it wasn't that far of a walk. I knocked on the door, and Emily was the one who answered the door.  
"Good evening, Emily."  
"Good evening, Jem… Is this the person Sam was talking about?" Emily asked.  
"Yes ma'am."  
"Young lady, what did you do to your hand?! Come on inside, and I'll take a look at it!" Emily grabbed Julie's wrist, and practically dragged her inside; she sat her down, and Emily took a look at her hand.  
"I'm going to assume that Jem patched you up… It's not the best, but it got the job done…" Emily admitted.  
"I injured it from trying to break a window." Julie admitted.  
"Say no more, I can piece the rest by myself, just give me your hand"  
Julie listened, and Emily reapplied the bandage, and did a much better job than I could.  
I noticed that Miss Maudie wasn't inside, and I was wondering where she was.  
"Emily, where's Miss Maudie?" I asked.  
"She's probably in her room getting dressed." Emily answered. "Speak of the devil."  
Miss Maudie entered the room, and took a look at Julie. "So you're the one who needs a place to stay." Miss Maudie said, giving her a good look.  
"You don't mind, do you? Because if you do, then I'll be on my way." Julie was about to get up, but Miss Maudie made sure that she didn't leave.  
"Now, don't you worry, baby… You can stay here as long as you please." Miss Maudie said, gently.  
Julie was surprised to see how kind she was, and immediately sat back down.  
"Now, we'll have you go to school tomorrow, I hope you don't mind wearing a dress." Maudie stated.  
"I don't really care for them, can I wear a blouse and jeans instead?" Julie asked.  
"You can wear a blouse and skirt, but not jeans."  
"Damn it." Julie whispered.  
"Don't worry, Scout's hates wearing dresses as well." I whispered.  
"It's not that I don't hate them, it's just that you can't do anything in them, take this from a person who had tried." Julie responded.  
"I guess, I'll see you tomorrow." I said, about to leave.  
"Jem," I turned around, and I noticed that she was having trouble finding the words to say. "See you tomorrow…"  
I smiled and waved goodbye, and I started towards home. I had one hell of day, and it was just going to get more interesting from here on.


	4. I Am Going To Like It Here

It was Monday, meaning that we had to go to school. Scout wasn't a big fan of school, and has stated that it's only saving grace is her teacher, and Dill. I really didn't hate it, but I could see where she was coming from, since I was in that stage at one point.  
We all ate our breakfast, and we waited for Julie, who was coming down, clearly not liking her dress; she was tugging at it, and looked like she was about to burn it, which kind of made me laugh.  
"Julie, over here!" I called.  
Julie sped up toward us, and said her good mornings, and we began our trek.  
"So you're in my grade, huh?" I asked.  
"That's right." Julie answered.  
"Julie, are you tomboy?" Scout asked.  
"I wouldn't say tomboy, just independent." Julie answered.  
"I guess not having a home will do that to you." Dill stated, sadly.  
"Pretty much." Julie responded, brightly.  
"Do you think people will know?" I asked.  
"If they do, whatever."  
"Nothing much fazes you, does it?" Dill asked.  
"Only my self-awareness." Julie answered, honestly.  
I was wondering what she meant by that, but I decided to drop it.

We eventually arrived at the school, and we went to our separate classrooms. The teacher I had isn't really worth mentioning, I never bothered getting to know him, but he was one of the few teachers who knew what he was doing.  
"Sir, this is Julie, she is going to be in our class from now on." I said.  
"Alright," He looked at Julie, and told her where to sit. "There is a seat right next to Jem's just sit there."  
"Yes sir," Julie said, clearly cringing at being respectful. "God, he better not try to control me."  
"That's only the elementary school." I responded. "Scout can tell you all about that hell."  
"I'll bet."  
The teacher came up, and wrote down Poetry in big letters.  
"Alright class, who can you tell me what poetry is?" He asked.  
I raised my hand, and he responded, "Go ahead, Jeremy."  
"Poetry is a form of literature that uses aesthetics and rhythmic qualities, they are usually referred to as poems." I explained.  
"Correct," The teacher wrote down the word poem, and gave us our instructions. "Now, I explained to you what rhyme scheme, allusion, etc., so I want you to write a poem that has at least 4 or more stanzas, they have to a rhyme scheme, and at least one allusion to something. I'll be taking them up before Thanksgiving break, so that gives you a week."  
Julie raised her hand, and asked, "Does it have to be in a specific style?"  
"What did you have in mind, Julie?" He asked.  
"Well, I was thinking of writing in the form of pantoum, it's a Malaysian style of poetry." Julie answered.  
I was impressed that she already had one in mind; I was still trying to think of one.  
"Go ahead…" He gave her permission, and she started writing. She was the first one to finish, and she turned it in.  
"Very good," The teacher complemented. "Would you like to read it out loud?"  
"Sure." Julie grabbed her paper, and stand in front of the entire classroom.  
"Hi, my name is Julie, and I going to read my poem, don't make a crack or you'll live to regret it…" Julie said, monotone.  
Julie really knew how to sound threatening; I think a few of the male students started sweating.  
Julie cleared her throat, and began reading her poem.

" _I'm going to like it here.  
_ _There is something about the place,  
_ _An encouraging atmosphere,  
_ _Like a smile on a friendly face._

 _There is something about the place,  
_ _So caressing and warm it is.  
_ _Like a smile on a friendly face,  
_ _Like a port in a storm it is._

 _So caressing and warm it is.  
_ _All the people are so sincere.  
_ _Like a port in a storm it is.  
_ _I am going to like it here.  
_

 _All the people are so sincere.  
_ _There's especially one I like.  
_ _I am going to like it here.  
_ _It's the father's first son I like.  
_

 _There's especially one I like.  
_ _There is something about his face.  
_ _It's the father's first son I like.  
_ _He's the reason I love the place._

 _There is something about his face.  
_ _I would follow him anywhere.  
_ _If he goes to another place,  
_ _I am going to like it there."_

Everyone, including me, was left speechless on how good it was, but I was more so speechless because I knew what she was talking about more than anyone. Julie went back to her seat, and she just smirked at me, and I started noticing how beautiful she was, and I started getting ideas.  
"How was it?" She asked.  
"It was great."  
"Thank you, Jem."  
"Did you come up with that?" I asked.  
"Yeah, but somehow almost all the poems end up being lyrics to a song in the future." Julie stated.  
"Great minds think alike." I commented.  
Julie blushed, but I pretended that I didn't notice. "So, what's your idea, Jem?" Julie asked.  
"I'm slowly piecing it together, it will probably be done by next Friday, but I'm not going to read it out loud like you did."  
"You shy?"  
"I don't want people laughing at me." I answered, blushing.  
Julie giggled lightly, and I couldn't help but notice how soft it was, it really made me attracted to her more, and before I knew it, my poem popped up in my head, but we were released for lunch, so I didn't have a chance to write it, but I didn't worry too much, as it wasn't about to leave my head.  
When I think back now, she was right with how her poems later became lyrics for song, but it wasn't going to be for another 20 years until this got turned into a song. I guess this world really does have 'A Hundred Million Miracles.'


	5. You Are Never Away

A week had passed since Julie started coming to school, and I was I at football practice; I was on the football team for my school, and even though I was a newcomer, I was listed as a starter because I was able to prove how good I was, despite my arm. My specialty was passing and punting, so I was mainly put on the defensive line. Being on the football team unfortunately made the girls in my school go crazy for me, but I don't stick around long enough for them to chase me. I didn't want Scout thinking I was a skirt chaser or something.  
While I did enjoy playing football, I didn't like the coach's training methods, he would basically make the tackling dummies look like Negroes and have the offense tackle them; I usually stayed out of this, because of his racism, but eventually he wanted the defense to join in, and I refused.  
"Coach, this is wrong! I won't tackle the training dummy if it looks like a Negro!" I declared.  
"Why? It's just a nigger." Coach stated. What he said really burned me up, but I was too old to get into fights; especially with the school faculty.  
"With all due respect, I never appreciated your methods."  
"Coach, I think Jem here is a nigger lover just like his daddy!" One of the players said.  
"Are you a nigger lover, Jem?" Coach asked.  
"I reckon I am, sir."  
"I won't have a yellow bellied chicken on the team!" A player shouted.  
Emily and Sam were watching the practice, and had decided to step in.  
"Look, we got two more nigger lovers." A player called out.  
"Coach, you better tell that kid to shut up before I break his arm." Sam said, sternly.  
Coach told the team to shut up, and we continued our conversation.  
"Alright, now this is just inhumane! I can't believe you would encourage this!" Emily shouted.  
"I can't just change it for one member." Coach said, weakly.  
"What's the difference?! No one is going to notice if you didn't paint them, you damn louse!" Emily yelled.  
Coach raised his hand to hit her, but Sam grabbed it, and said, "Let's not get too hasty… Coach, why don't you just have Jem focus on his strengths, I wouldn't want him to focus too much on tackling, because of his arm."  
Sam made a good point, if I started going offensive, then my arm would be good as broken.  
"Sam, I think I'm done for the day." I said, wanting to get away from this place.  
"I'll go ahead and take him home, Sam." Emily said, with the same sentiments.  
"Alright, I'll see if I can negotiate with this guy." Sam said, as we began to walk off the field.

When we got back to my house, Emily decided to stick around and wait for Sam. Atticus was still at work, and Scout and Dill were down by the Eddie. I had just gotten out of the bath, and had put on different clothes. Emily was sitting down in a chair, and seemed to be waiting for Sam.  
"How do you really feel about Sam?" I asked.  
Emily seemed to know that I was here, she turned around, smiled, and answered, "I do like him, but I want him to tell it to me first if he does."  
"Why?"  
"Because the last person I was with didn't really mean what he said, it really hurt, so I decided that if I liked somebody than I would wait for them to tell me." Emily answered.  
"I think Sam likes you a lot, but he's far too worried about others to focus on romance." I stated.  
"I noticed that too, he really cares about Dill as if he was his own. I often told him he would make a good father, but he always thought I was joking." Emily responded, smiling.  
"I hope he doesn't go crazy on Coach." I admitted.  
"Don't worry, he only goes violent when it's necessary." Emily stated.  
As soon as she said that, Sam came in the room, and pretended to clear his throat.  
"How long were you there?" Emily asked.  
"Just got here." Sam answered.  
"Hey, why don't you stay for dinner, Emily?" I asked.  
"I'm fine with it." Sam said. "I want to tell you something after dinner, anyway."  
"Alright, I'll stay." Emily said, shrugging her shoulders.

Scout, Dill, and Atticus soon got home, and we all ate our dinner. Atticus went to his room, while Scout, Dill, and I spied on Sam and Emily just for the hell of it.  
"So, what is you wanted to talk about, Samuel?" Emily asked.  
"Are you still dating that man, Emily?" Sam asked.  
"Hell no! I dropped him once I realized he was cheating on me!" Emily answered, brashly.  
"Sorry…" Sam said, looking at Emily.  
"Why are you sorry?" Emily asked.  
"For not answering you back then." Sam answered  
"Don't be, I should've waited for you to ask me." Emily responded, softly.  
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we grew up together?" Sam asked.  
"Sometimes, but I don't think I would belong in Texas." Emily answered.  
"Don't worry about it, there is a place where I know you belong, but I wish I told you sooner." Sam looked outside the window, and looked out into the distance.  
"You can tell me now…" Emily said, getting right next to him.  
Sam looked at her in the eye, and grabbed her hands. "You are never away from your home in my heart, there is never a day when you don't play a part in word that I say, or a sight that I see. You are never away and I'll never be free."  
Emily hugged Sam, and told him how she felt: "You're the smile on my face, or song that I sing, you're a rainbow I chase on a morning in Spring, and you're a star in the lace of a wild willow tree, in a green leafy lace of a wild willow tree."  
"Glad to see you still love me." Sam admitted.  
"I'm glad that you love me, period." Emily stated.  
"You are lovelier by far, than I dreamed you could be, Emily." Sam said, hugging her.  
"Be careful, we got witnesses." Emily stated, smirking as she looked toward us.  
"I know…" Sam stated, smiling.  
"Do you guys have a sixth sense or something?" Scout asked.  
"No, but we have peripheral vision." Emily answered.  
"What's that?" Dill asked.  
"It's where you can see motion, without actually looking in the direction it's coming from." I answered.  
"Well, we're together now, but I bet you anything not much is going to change." Sam stated.  
"I not one for sentimental tripe, Sam." Emily admitted.  
"I know, that is why people are going to have to squint if they were to guess if we are a couple or not." Sam said, smiling.  
"Would you walk me back to Miss Maudie's?" Emily asked, pretending to be formal.  
"While of course I will." And Sam played along.  
"Hey, Emily, tell Julie I said, "good night." I said, as they walked out the door.  
Dill and Scout just smirked at me, and it made me feel awkward.  
"So, you do like her." Dill stated.  
"I don't know, it's still too early to say." I admitted.  
"Why don't you ask her out, Jem?" Scout teased.  
"Alright, goodnight you two lovebirds." I rebutted as I headed to my room.  
I went towards my room, and I wrote down the poem before I forgot it, and I decided to turn it in this Friday, and then read it to her during Thanksgiving Break.


	6. Time With Family

As I was getting ready for school, Atticus came in to talk to me. He seemed to be very happy about something.  
"Why are you so happy, Atticus?" I asked.  
"I'm just happy to see how much you're improving, son." He answered.  
"I had to... no... I needed to."  
"And why is that, Jem?"  
"Because after Scout nearly got killed, I realized how much she meant to me, she's my little sister, and I couldn't protect her… I felt like a failure of a brother, so I'm making up for it by trying not to be too hard on her." I answered.  
"Jem, look at me," Atticus commanded. "You're not a failure, you knew something was up and you did what you could to keep your sister safe… you don't have to blame yourself for that anymore."  
I looked at Atticus face; he was smiling gently, which eased my regrets. "Thank you, Atticus…"  
Atticus got up, and looked at my desk. The poem I wrote a few days ago was sitting there, and he was giving it read.  
"That was an assignment for school." I explained.  
"This is really well written, Jem," Atticus complemented. "Where did you get your inspiration?"  
I blushed, and looked down at the floor in embarrassment.  
"Spending time with Julie…" I admitted.  
Atticus just smiled and he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Do you like her, Jem?" Atticus asked.  
This question had been asked three times already, but unlike before, I was now sure of my answer: "I like her a lot."  
"That's good, son." Atticus responded. "Have you told her yet?"  
"No sir, but I plan on telling her the poem next week."  
"It's none of my business, but I think you should wait another month before you tell her." Atticus suggested.  
"Why?"  
"Julie might not be ready for a relationship. I think it's best if you got to know her better, before you tell her." Atticus answered.  
Atticus was wise beyond his years, if you ask him a question, he'll give you an honest answer; it was one of the things I respected about him.  
"If that's what you think I should do, then I'll do it." I said. I decided to listen to him, as he had never been wrong for as long as I could remember.  
"Good," Atticus got up, and headed towards the door. "You better get some breakfast, before it's all gone."  
I smiled, and I hurried to the kitchen, where I waited for Scout and Dill.

It was the weekend. Atticus had to go to a meeting, and he told me to keep an eye on Scout and Dill while he was out. Sam and Emily went along with Atticus, and Julie was spending the day with Maudie, so that only left me as the only person to look after them. If I was younger, I would have complained, but since I actually liked their company, and it was enjoyable to watch them flirt, I really didn't mind that much.  
"So Dill," Scout said. "I heard that you written a poem."  
"I reckon I did." Dill confirmed. "Why do you ask?"  
"Can you tell me?" Scout asked. "I want to know what your mind came up with.  
This is going to be one hell of a show. I thought. They knew I was sitting here, but they didn't care, and to be honest, I was curious in what Dill came up with, as he stood up all dramatically, and he started reciting his poem:

" _Am I the man that you love?  
_ _If that is true I am more,  
_ _Something beyond and above  
_ _The man I was before.  
_

 _Like a god, with my head above the trees,  
_ _I can walk with a god-like stride.  
_ _With a step I can clear the seven seas,  
_ _When I know you are by my side._

 _Like a god, with a mountain in my hand  
_ _And my arm thrown around the sky.  
_ _All the world can be mine on my command  
_ _When you're near and I hear you sigh._

 _When you're near and I hear you sigh,  
_ _There is no sweeter song I know  
_ _With a heart full of hope I fly  
_ _Higher I go! Stronger I grow!_

 _Like a god, I can tear away the mist  
_ _From the sky if you want it blue.  
_ _In the wake of the mist, like a goddess you'll be kissed  
_ _By a god in love with you."_

"Only you would come up with something like that." I stated.  
The poem was actually really creative (And they coincidentally became lyrics for a song two decades later), but I couldn't imagine Dill writing poems.  
"Why thank you, Jem," Dill said, bowing. "My inspiration came from how much I care about Scout."  
Scout seemed to like hearing this; I swore that these two were made for each other, and I began to think that Sam was right, and that 'they are stuck with each other.'  
"Well, aren't you a sweet one Dill." Scout winked.  
"Okay lovebirds, you gonna kiss or what?!" I teased.  
"If you don't try to kill me." Dill joked.  
"I don't want Scout after my head for the rest of my life." I retorted. Scout threw a sports magazine at me, and I let it hit me, and I also let slide down my face.  
"In all seriousness, I really don't mind, just don't get too excited." I said, honestly.  
Scout and then proceeded to kiss Dill straight on the lips (Usually it was the other way around), and I just let them enjoy each other's company, and they start talking about a future wedding or something.  
"So, who would be our best man?" Scout asked.  
"Jem, of course." Dill answered.  
"I got you covered, but that means that Dill has to be my best man at my wedding." I responded.  
"That's fair." Dill said, smiling.  
I got up, and ruffled Dill's hair. "Can't wait till you become my little brother."  
"Thanks, Jem." Dill responded.  
Scout just rolled her eyes, and I went to where she was.  
"You got yourself a good feller, Scout." I said, getting down to her height.  
Scout just smiled and said, "Glad you think you so too, Jem."


	7. So Far

A month has passed, and I finally decided to ask Julie out. I told her to meet me outside my house at 8:00 p.m., and she agreed. I was waiting for her to show up, and I when I saw her walking up, I started getting nervous, but I tried to ignore it.  
"Evening Jem, what is it you wanted to talk about on this winter's night?" She asked.  
"W-Well, you see," I said, stuttering.  
She giggled, and I couldn't help but chuckle with her.  
"Why are you so nervous?" Julie asked.  
"Julie…" I said. "Would you like to go out on date with me this Saturday?"  
Julie seemed to show a side of her I have never seen before. "J-Jem, you're joking, right?" She asked, nervous.  
I was silent, and she tried to chuckle it off, but she soon realized I was serious. "W-Wait a minute?!"  
"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.  
"I hope you mean as just strictly for laughs, nothing serious." I got closer to her and she started getting more nervous; it was actually kind of cute.  
"I don't want to drag you in over your head, Jem!" She stated.  
"It's too late I'm already in, head over heels." I said. I start hugging her, and she gets more nervous.  
"Are you sure I'm the right girl for you?"  
"I have never been so sure in my life." I answered.  
"But we have keepsakes for days that are gone." Julie stated.  
"We have no fond recollections to look back upon." I added.  
"No songs that we love, no scene to recall, we have no traditions at all." Julie said, getting calm.  
"We have nothing to remember so far. So far we haven't walked by night and shared the light of a star. So far your heart had never fluttered so near that my own heart alone could hear it." I said. I let go of her, and I smiled at her.  
"We haven't gone beyond the very beginning, we've just begun to know how lucky we are." Julie said. She was smiling real brightly, and it was one of the prettiest smiles I had ever seen.  
"So, we have nothing to remember so far, but now I'm face to face with you and now at last we've met, and I now we can look forward to the things we'll never forget." I said, smiling.  
Julie looks at me, and says: "Alright, I'll go out with you."  
I was so happy to hear that. "I'll pick you up here at 6:00, and we can go out eat. Atticus said that he would give me money if you said, "yes." I said, excited.  
Julie laughed, and I start blushing. "Sorry, it was just so adorable to see you excited." Julie admitted.  
We both smiled, and I tell her, "Good night, Julie."  
"Good night, Jem."

I tell everyone the news, and they all seemed to be very happy for me.  
"I'm glad you got a girl, Jem." Dill said.  
"Didn't think you would ever get around to it." Scout teased.  
"Scout, be nice," Atticus said. Scout kept smiling, but she did back off. "Son, there is one thing you should know about going out with a girl."  
"And what is that?" I asked.  
"Treat her with respect." Atticus answered, smiling.  
"Congrats Jem…" Sam said, smiling.  
"Julie has liked you for a while now, actually." Emily said, smiling.  
"Really now?"  
"Really!" Emily answered.  
"So, when's the date?" Dill asked.  
"I'm going to take her out to eat at the nicest restaurant in town this Saturday." I answered.  
"Funny, that's where Emily and I are going this Saturday." Sam responded.  
"Hey Dill, when I get money I'll treat you." Scout said, smiling.  
"I think you got that backwards, Scout." Dill responded.  
"Whatever…"  
I just roll my eyes, and I asked Sam if we could join them.  
"Sure…" Sam answered.  
"I don't mind." Emily responded.  
I say my thanks, and I head back to my room to sleep the night away.


	8. Julie Is A Good Thing

Sam and I were getting ready for our dates; Sam seemed real confident, while I was incredibly nervous; Sam took notice of this, and he tried to encourage me: "Just be yourself and you'll be fine."  
"Weren't you nervous on your first date, Sam?" I asked, still nervous.  
"Yeah, but I didn't let it get to me." Sam answered.  
I began to wonder how she was feeling, and I concluded that she was probably feeling more nervous than me, and I figured that if she was aware of how nervous I was, than she would just panic. So, I decided to not let my nerves get me. "Alright, I'll just do what you did." I said, calmly.  
"That's the way…" Sam said, as we began walking out the door.  
We were walking to Miss Maudie's house, when I asked Sam if he thought Emily was nervous.  
"Probably, but she is hard one to faze," Sam answered. "You could have someone with a gunshot wound and she wouldn't scream about the blood, she would scream at her patient to "shut up, and take it like a man," and she would go about her business as if nothing happened."  
I began to wonder what Chicago's crime rate was like, so I asked, and Sam answered, "It's pretty bad, from what Emily told me."  
I decided to leave that topic, and I asked about his plans for when we get to the restaurant.  
"We're going to just sit at table for two, but we'll be close enough for conversation." Sam answered. "So you and Julie can have some of your own time, while Emily and I can have our own."  
I thanked Sam for his consideration, and we continued our walk.

When we got to Miss Maudie's house, we saw Emily waiting for Sam and me. We met her on the porch, and I noticed that Julie wasn't with her.  
"Where's Julie?" I asked.  
"She's still getting ready…" We hear some loud talking from the inside, and I was wondering what the hell was going on in there. "Very loudly" Emily stated.  
We were quiet, so we could listen to the conversation between Julie and Miss Maudie.  
"Now I want you to say after me: 'I am Julie, and nobody else.'" Maudie commanded. Julie repeated those words, and I figured out that Miss Maudie was trying to give Julie confidence; she seemed to be having a hard time. "I'm a good a thing."  
"I ain't!" Julie argued  
"The hell you ain't!" Maudie rebutted. "Now listen, I want you to say everything I say: 'I got eyes that can see pretty sunsets, and pretty dresses in store windows, and I got ears that can hear music, and the sound of waves on a beach, I got a nose that can smell flowers, and food cooking on stove, and I got two feet that can take me anywhere I want to go, and I can walk and run and climb and swim in the sea, and if I am something that can do all this, why should I be afraid to be me?!"  
Julie repeated all of this, and it seemed to be working, but when she got to the last part, she sounded like something was bothering her, and Miss Maudie didn't fail to notice this.  
"Oh, listen to me honey," Miss Maudie said, softly. "You are good thing, Julie, I know this is true. You may make mistakes as other people do, but everybody makes a few. Julie, your eyes are searching eyes, and the world they seek is new. You look for love as other people do, and you will find your love too, as someone is searching for you. In fact, tonight you're going out with a man."  
"With a man who asked me to go," Julie stated. "And I ain't scared of saying anything wrong, cause I won't say only what I know."  
"Right!"  
"I'm going out to eat tonight," Julie said, with confidence. "A fella is taking me there, I'll hold my hand on his arm good and tight, and I'll hold my chin in the air, and if anyone tries to make a crack-!"  
"Think!" Maudie said, firmly.  
Julie took this time to think, and she said, "I'll look I don't care, because I'm Julie, and I'm a good thing."  
"That's right, Julie," Maudie said, with a cheerful tone. "Now get out there, and make that man yours!"  
"I will!" Julie stated, and I hear her running to the door.  
I decided to meet her there, and when she came out, I couldn't help but notice how much confident she had.  
"Hey Julie, are you ready to go?" I asked, offering her my arm.  
"Yeah…" Julie grabbed onto my arm, and we began walking to town.  
I couldn't help but blush, as she really was holding my arm good and tight, but I didn't mind that, I was just happy that the girl I loved was in my arms, and I could tell that she felt the same.


	9. Tonight

We arrived at the restaurant, and were now taking our seats. I asked Sam what was he ordering, and he responded: "It's my first time here as well, Jem." I forgotten that Sam never went out to eat here, and I felt like a fool. "Just get what you think is good, and is in your price range."

I had $15, which was enough money for me to buy us food and drinks.

"What would you like to order, Julie?" I asked. "It's on me…"

"I'll just take a steak and a coke." Julie answered.

"Alright, I'll get the same thing." I responded.

I looked over at Sam and Emily, and they both ordered wine and steak; Julie and I were only fourteen, so we couldn't order wine. Not that I would have anyway.

"Hey Jem," Julie said. I looked at her, and she seemed to be looking shy. "Can you teach me about that law stuff sometime?"

"Sure," I answered. "And if you want, maybe we could have a picnic down by the Eddie, we can cook our own meals and go down there during the spring or summer, it would be real nice."

"It sounds nice." Julie responded. Out the corner of my eye, I saw Sam and Emily's waiter come with a wine bottle. "What the hell was that?!" Julie jumped when she heard something loud; we looked at the waiter, and he just said, "Sorry, ma'am…"

Julie and I began to chuckle, and I noticed that Julie seemed to be blushing. "Oh… the cork." Julie answered, herself. I was still chuckling, and she just went along with it. We both took a drink, and we both started eating our steaks.

"Hey Jem," Julie said, getting my attention. Do you think that we can stop by the Eddie sometime?"

"Whenever you want." I answered.

"On the way home?" She asked.

"You'll mess your shoes." I state.

"I know."

"You can take them off."

"I will…" Julie smiled, and we continued eating our food.

"Having a good time, Jem?" Sam asked.

I nodded, and I asked him how his date was going.

"This girl knows how to drink wine." Sam answered.

Emily playfully slapped him in the head, and that got a chuckle from Julie and I.

"I was joking, Em…" Sam stated.  
"I know, and that was my retort." Emily said, smirking.

Sam just smiled, and continued on with his night.

Eventually, we all finished our meals, and we paid for our dinner.

"So, you guys are going down by the Eddie?" Emily asked.

"Yes ma'am." I answered.

"Stay safe." Emily said, smiling gently.

We both nod, and we went our separate ways.

When we got to the Eddie, the stars were reflecting off of the water, and it looked real pretty. Julie was impressed by the sight as well.

"It's so pretty…" Julie said, enamored. Julie and I sat down, and we looked up at the scars.

"Yeah," I responded. "I don't usually come here at night, but if this is what the Eddie looks like at night, then I wish I saw this when I was younger."

It was a windy, winter night, so it was bit chilly, but Julie was so warm that I couldn't even feel the cold.

"Julie, I love you…" I said. She looked at me in the eye, and she seemed happy.

"I love you too, Jem…" Julie responded.

Our faces inched closer, and we soon found ourselves kissing; she was soft and warm, but at the same time shaking. We separate, and I saw that she was now confused. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well," Julie said. "We just kissed, and we only known each other a month."

"That don't matter to me," I responded. "I just want to see you, and I want you you to see only me."

"You're the only thing I'll see forever, Jem," Julie said, smiling. "In my eyes, in my words, and in everything I do, nothing else but you ever."  
I sat up, and we both scooted in closer till we were holding hands. "And there is nothing for me but you, every sight I sight I see is you, always you, every thought I'll ever know, everywhere I go you'll be my only love."

"All the world is only me and you, Jem." Julie said. We both stood up, and we began looking at the starry sky.

I look her in the eyes, and I grab both her hands. "Tonight, it all began tonight, I saw you and the world went away." I said.

"Tonight, there's only you tonight, what you are, what you do, what you say." Julie added.

"Today, all day I had a feeling a miracle would happen I know now I was right, for here you are and what was just a world is a star, tonight." I finished.

"Those would make good lyrics." Julie stated.

"Maybe they will be in twenty years." I joked.

Julie and I laughed, but then we both realized that we needed to be getting home soon. So I took her hand, and I walked her home. We both stopped at Miss Maudie's front porch, and I kissed her, then I told her 'good night.'

"Jem!" Julie called out in a whisper.

"What is it?" I asked.

"What does Jem stand for again?" Julie asked. "I know you told me when we first met, but I forgot since then."

"Jeremy." I answered.

"I love you, Jeremy."

"I love you too, Julie." I responded.

"Good night, sleep well and when you dream, dream of me tonight." Julie said, smiling.

"I will…"


	10. Grant Avenue

A few months had passed since Julie and I started dating, and it soon became the talk at school. We pretty much figured that this would happen, but we really didn't care. Occasionally, we would hear people asked where Julie was from, and she would answer, "Grant Avenue," which just left them confused, me included. But in February, our teacher asked Julie to describe her hometown, and she got up in front of the class, and began to say: "They call it Grant Avenue, San Francisco, California, USA. Looks down from Chinatown over a foggy bay."  
"What's it like there?" I asked.  
"A western street with eastern manners, tall pagodas and golden banners throw their shadows through the lantern glows." Julie answered.  
"What can you do there?" I asked.  
"You can shop for precious jade or teak-wood tables or silk brocade or see a bold and brassy nightclub show on the most exciting thoroughfare I know." Julie answered. "Don't think too much on the nightclub show, it's actually worse down in Cannery Row."  
"Anyway," The teacher said. "When can you eat there?"  
"You can eat when you are in the mood, shark-fin soup, bean cake fish, and the girl who serves you all the food is another tasty dish." Julie answered. "By the way, I was joking about the girl who serves you all the food being another tasty dish."  
There was little laughter; I was only who thought it was a little bit funny, which made it awkward.  
"Anyway," Julie said, trying to get the eyes off of me. "You know you can't have a new way of living till you're living all the way on Grant Avenue."  
"Where is that?" The class asked in unison. Not gonna lie, it was kind of bizarre.  
"San Francisco, that's where's that! California, USA." Julie answered.  
I could tell that she was getting annoyed, but luckily the bell rang to release us, and she was out of their faster than when I touched Boo Radley's house.

I would've normally went to practice, but Julie seemed to be bother about talking about her hometown, so I decided to skip practice just to make sure that she was alright.  
"Julie…" I called out. She was sitting on the bench near the school entrance, and she seemed to be surprised about seeing me here.  
"What are you doing here, Jem?!" Julie asked. You should be at football practice."  
"I know, but I wanted to make sure you were alright." I said, sitting down right next to her.  
"Well, I'm fine," Julie responded. "So go to practice before the coach kicks you off the team."  
"Let him, you're all that matters to me right now." I rebutted.  
"Are you trying to get yourself kick off the team, Jem?" Julie asked.  
"Maybe…" I answered.  
"Why?"  
"I liked playing football at first, but now it's getting very dull to me now."  
"Is it because of you started dating me?" Julie asked.  
"Hell no!" I answered, loudly.  
"Okay, okay, no need to yell, Jeremy." Julie said, serious. She would only use my real name on dates sometimes, or if she was about to get serious, but other than that, she usually referred me to Jem, and that was because she didn't want the town thinking we were engaged or something, which was fine with me. She liked both names and would call me either or depending on the situation.  
"Sorry," I said, softly. "I just can't work with the team, they are all racist bigots, and I tried to tell them my opinion, but they are too damn thick to actually listen to me, and I would rather work with people that understood me, not with people who can't compromise and be wise."  
Julie seemed to be happy that she wasn't the reason I was quitting football, and I was glad that she understood my point of view.  
"Jeremy," Julie called. "When we get home, can you tell me that poem you wrote back in November?"  
"Sure," I answered. "I was going to tell you today anyway."  
Julie looked at me confused, and I just stood up and asked, "Do you know what today is?"  
"Tuesday, February 8th." Julie answered.  
"Do you know what else is today?" I asked.  
"No clue…"  
"It's my birthday," I said, smiling. "I'm 15 years old now."  
"Oh my god!" Julie exclaimed. "Happy birthday, Jem!"  
"Thanks Julie." I responded.  
"I have something to give you actually." Julie said, reaching into her bag.  
"What is it?" I asked.  
"I remember you telling me in January that your favorite gemstone is an amethyst, so I decided to save up some money so I can give you this." Julie showed me a ring with an amethyst gemstone engraved in it.  
"Glad you remembered," I said, taking the ring. "When's your birthday?"  
"It's May 9th." Julie answered.  
"I'll be sure to give you your birthstone for your birthday as well." I said, taking her hand.  
"Thanks Jeremy…"


	11. You Are Beautiful

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted. Atticus, Scout, and Dill prepared me a surprise party, and they did a good job on hiding the surprise, I didn't suspect a thing.  
"Happy Birthday, son." Atticus said, smiling.  
"Thanks Atticus." I responded.  
"We had been planning this for a month now." Dill said, smiling.  
"I bet it was easy since I was out with Julie." I stated.  
"Yeah, pretty much." Scout confirmed.  
I looked at the cake that was on the table, and I could only think of one person who had cooked it, and she was right in front of me. "Did you cook it, Miss Maudie?" I asked.  
"Guilty as charged." Miss Maudie responded.  
"Don't eat it yet, Jem," Emily said. "You have to open your gifts now."  
"You guys didn't have to go that far." I said.  
"We know," Sam responded. "But we did anyway."  
Sam had a quick wit humor, and it was pretty effective for the most part.  
"Alright, which one should he open first?" Julie asked.  
"Open ours first, Jem." Scout said, handing me a gift.  
"Ours?" I asked.  
"Scout and I decided to share our money to buy you a gift." Dill answered.  
I opened the present, and I found that it was a pendant that said, "Best Brother." This made me smile, but I looked and I found that they gave me a card, so I opened it up, and I read it out loud:

" _Let's see, you can be a jerk, you can be hard to work with, and you can be a snob sometimes, but despite all of these faults, the part of you that shines to us is that you're honest, kind, and when it comes down to it, you are always there for us when we truly need you, and we wouldn't want it any other way, because that what makes you the best brother we ever had.  
_ _Happy Birthday, Big Bro.  
_ _From Scout and Dill."_

"Thanks guys." I said, giving them a hug.  
"Not a problem, Jem…" Scout said.  
"It's just the truth, Jem," Dill said. "Your positive traits heavily outweigh your negatives."  
"Thanks, lil' bro." I said, caressing Dill's head.  
"I could get used to you calling me that." Dill said, softly.  
"Likewise." I responded.  
Sam and Emily were kind enough to wait until I was ready to open their gift, and when I was ready, they gave me their gift, and I prepared to open it up. It was a written book titled, "The Hobbit" by J. R. R. Tolkien, and it was a fantasy novel, and it seemed very interesting.  
"I read it myself, and we thought you would like it." Sam explained.  
"Thanks Sam, and you too, Emily." I said, smiling.  
Atticus was the last one to give his gift, and it was some birthday money and his father's pocket watch.  
"Atticus, this watch was Grandpa's, right?" I asked.  
"That's right, son, I am getting old now, son, and I think it would be better in your possession than mine." Atticus said, gently. I ran up to hug him, and I was now  
almost as tall as him, but still not quite there.  
"You're welcome, Jem." Atticus said, patting my back.  
"I guess we should go eat the cake before it stales." I said, smiling.  
"Sounds good to me." Atticus responded.

After we ate cake, I took Julie, who had been quiet for a while now, to my room, and I had her sit down.  
"So, are you going to tell me your poem now?" Julie asked.  
"She speaks once again." I remarked.  
"Oh, shut up…" Julie retorted.  
"If I do, I won't be able to tell you my poem." I stated.  
"Asshole…" Julie responded.  
"Love you too." I retorted.  
"Okay, enough of your wisecracks. Just tell the poem, please." Julie said, smiling.  
I cleared my throat, and I started telling her my poem from months back.

" _Along the Hwang Ho Valley where young men walk and dream,  
_ _A flower boat with singing girls came drifting down the stream.  
_ _I saw the face of only one come drifting down the steam.  
_

 _You are beautiful, small and shy.  
_ _You are the girl whose eyes met mine  
_ _Just as your boat sailed by._

 _This I know of you, nothing more,  
_ _You are the girl whose eyes met mine  
_ _Passing the river shore._

 _You are the girl whose laugh I heard,  
_ _Silver and soft and bright;  
_ _Soft as the fall of lotus leaves  
_ _Brushing the air of night._

 _While your flower boat sailed away,  
_ _Gently your eyes look back on mine,  
_ _Clearly you heard me say,  
_ " _You are the girl I'll love someday."_

"That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard." Julie said, touched.  
"I bet that's going to be a song in two decades." I joked.  
"Probably…" Julie responded.  
We both laughed, and we ended up looking at each other's eyes again. I grabbed her hand, and I led her outside.  
"Julie, you were my inspiration for my poem." I admitted.  
"I had a feeling, and it's very sweet of you." Julie responded.  
"I love you, Julie."  
"I know, Jeremy." Julie gave me a kiss on the cheek, and she ran back home.


	12. The Truth About Julie

Spring had now arrived, and Julie and I were now more serious than ever, but I was starting to get curious on what her life was like when she was homeless, but I knew that if I asked her it would give her the wrong idea, so I decided to just leave it alone, but others didn't feel the same as I, unfortunately.  
"Hey Julie, is it true that you were homeless?" A student asked.  
"Yeah, what of it?"  
"I heard that there was a prostitute ring in Cannery Row, and you seem to know about that place, are you hiding something?"  
Julie stood up, and pushed him out of the way. "None of your damn business, louse!" Julie shouted, as she stormed out.  
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I asked, furious.  
"You're dating a whore, Jem." He said, getting up.  
"Don't call her that!" I shouted.  
"Why do you think she reacted that way?!"  
I ran out of the classroom, and I saw that Emily was about to come into the class.  
"Jem, we need to tell you something, it's about Julie." Emily said. She looked shocked about something, and I was starting to worry about Julie.  
I followed Emily into her office, and I found that Sam was there as well.  
"What's going on?" I asked.  
"We looked at Julie's track record, and we found that she was dealt with illegal affairs." Sam answered.  
I was beginning to feel scared about what I was about to learn.  
"We told Atticus, Cal, and Maudie this morning," Emily admitted. "And we all agreed to tell you now."  
"What was she involved in?" I asked.  
"She never did anything direct, but she housed herself at the Bear Flag, a bordello in Monterey, California." Sam answered. I was shocked that she was involved in that kind of place, but I did my best to keep my cool.  
"I sent a letter to the owner, and she told me that she only did chores like scrubbing the floors, and that she got most of her confidence from her, although she never did anything with the clients, she did lose the remainder of her innocence there."  
"Her innocence is lost?" I asked.  
"She lost it around your the same age as you." Emily answered.  
I was beginning to see why I liked her now. It was because I was the only who could understand her; I couldn't understand being homeless, but I could understand the loss of innocence, and I was beginning to think that I need to keep her safe from the rest of the world.  
"If she had stayed there, she wouldn't have this on her record, but she needed to get out before something happened to her." Sam stated.  
"I can't believe it…" I said.  
"Do you still love her, Jem?" Emily asked.  
I was embarrassed to be dating someone that I did not know a lot about, but that didn't change the way I felt about her in the slightest. "Of course I do." I answered.  
"She didn't break any laws, Jem, but she was involved with people who did do illegal actions and now that she is here she wants to forget about it." Emily said, sadly.  
"I know that, but my innocence is lost too."  
"That just means that you understand her more." Sam responded.  
"I know," I said. "So I'll try to help her in anyway I can."  
"You're a good man, Jem." Emily said, gently.  
I began to smile, but I then hear something, and I saw Julie, she was smiling, but it was a bitter smile.  
"Julie…"  
"I'm moving out of Maudie's, please don't see me until you can decide on if you love me or not." Julie said.  
Before I had a chance to say anything, she ran for it. As I tried to track her down, I started feeling something fading away from me, something that to this day I can never describe in detail.


	13. My Best Love

A few weeks went by, and I had not seen Julie for a while now. She had a made her residence at the house that the Ewell's used to live in. I couldn't figure out why she said that to me; I loved her more than anything in the world, but I couldn't figure out why I was so afraid to see her. People were saying that I would be better off if I just didn't see her again, but I tried to ignore them, but it was starting to get to my head, and I began to distant myself with everyone again, but this time I couldn't figure out why, until Atticus decided to talk to me one day.  
"Jem, please talk to me." Atticus pleaded.  
I didn't answer, I just wanted to be alone, but Atticus kept trying to help me.  
"Why did she say that?" I asked.  
"Because she thinks that you won't love her now that you know who she was involved with." Atticus answered.  
"I really do love her." I said.  
"Then tell her that"  
"That's easy for you to say," I shouted. "You only had one love, old man!"  
Atticus sat down right next to me, and said: "How can young man know where his heart will go? Only an old man knows what a man should know. All that was true for me, shall be true for you. You are romantic, I was romantic too." Atticus said, placing his hand on my shoulder.  
"What do you mean, Atticus?" I asked.  
"It's true that I only loved, Claire, but what you don't know is that many girls tried to get me to marry them." Atticus answered.  
"Seriously, I'm having that problem with girls at my school." I stated. "So, how did it go with them?"  
"The girls were fresh and sweet like buds in May, they bloomed and blew away." Atticus answered. "But then I met my young bride to be, radiant and lovely was she."  
"I know." I said, remembering my mother.  
"While I had other girls that liked me, I only had eyes for Claire. She was my first and last love, and to this day, I still consider her my best love."  
I began to see that Atticus had a similar problem that I had; the only difference being that I am being a chicken in not telling Julie how I really feel.  
"Thank you, Atticus." I said, smiling.  
"You should pursue her, Jem," Atticus said. "You need her, as much as she needs you, I hope you know that now."  
I watched him walk out of the room, and I start thinking about what he said, and that was when I decided that Julie would be my best love.


	14. How Long?

I was outside Julie's residence, and I had been standing there for half an hour. I had no idea what I wanted to say, and it was driving me nuts. Dumbstruck, I decided to turn around and think away from the house, but I then saw Sam and Emily standing there for quite a while.  
"Evening Jem," Emily said. "We've been watching you for the past half hour standing there doing nothing, what's going on?"  
"Emily, you're looking at a boy who's scared, scared that if he knocks on that door, she won't let him in." I answered.  
"Well, one sure thing, you won't get in, if you don't knock!" Emily said, annoyed. "Stand up to the girl like a man, just let her know you run the show, and she'll go along with the plan."  
"She's right, Jem," Sam said. "You have to stand up to the girl like a guy, and tell her to behave herself."  
Emily sat me down on a nearby bench, and said, "If she wants to make wait, don't get in no big debate. Don't beg and plead and pray to the girl, just stand up straight and say to the girl: How long do we gotta talk it over? How long do we gotta horse around? I'd tell you to your face I want you, and you drive me nuts, but all I ever get from you is 'ifs' and 'ands' and 'buts! How long do we gotta race the motor before we can really get to go? How long do you make a fella guess how sweet you are, before you will really let him go?"  
I started to understand what they were trying to do, but I was still having a hard gathering all the courage, before Sam said, "The man I used to be, would make a fricassee of any chick who tried to get tough."  
"The man I used to be, had an old recipe for calling any feminine bluff." I added. "You'd start being sweet gentle, then you wind up firm and rough."  
"That's the stuff!" Sam said. "Stand up to the girl!"  
"I'll say to the girl: How long do we gotta talk it over? How long do we gotta horse around? How long do you believe that you can keep me on the hook? How long do you believe that you can play me for a snook? How long must I walk alone at evening, while stars squander silver on the lake? How long till you open up your arms and let me know how warm, and how lovely they can be?"  
"Toughen it up, Jem!" Sam and Emily yelled. "Stand up to the girl, like a man!"  
I got up, and I walked towards the house with a newly found confidence, there was no way I was going to turn back now.


	15. The Next Time It Happens

"Hey Jem." Julie said, as I entered the door. "I heard everything outside, you don't have to say a thing."  
"Julie, I love you so much." I admitted.  
Julie looked at me sadly. I knew what she was going to say, and I wasn't going to like it.  
"Look Jem, if there is one thing that I am grateful for, it's that I at least had a chance to know what love was." Julie said. "Because of that, I am able to reject you."  
I looked down, but if this was her choice I had to respect it.  
"Please don't say anything."  
"I wasn't going to." I responded.  
"Talking about it is a waste of time."  
"I know, one thing about a balloon, once you bust it, it is bust for good."  
"Bingo!"  
"You're not the only one who's learned something from all this, we're even." I stated.  
"What did you learn, Jem?" Julie asked.  
"I leapt before I looked and I got hooked. I played with fire and burned, that's how I learned. I must admit, I owe a lot to you. From now I will know what not to do." I answered. "The next time it happens I'll be wise enough to know not to trust my eyesight when my eyes begin to glow. The next time I'm in love with anyone like you, my heart will sing no love song till I know the words are true. I know it's a foolish thing to say! I mean, who expects a miracle to happen everyday? It isn't in the cards as far as I can see that a thing so beautiful and wonderful could happen more than once to me."  
We looked each other in the eyes, I knew that this was goodbye.  
"I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon, if you want to say goodbye, now's the time." Julie said, somber.  
"Goodbye," I said. "I feel sorta silly with you watching me."  
"I'll turn around."  
I exited the door, and said, "I'll never forget you, Julie…"  
"Neither will I… Jeremy…"


	16. Love, Look Away

I was devastated that Julie was leaving, but I knew that I just had to move on, but knowing and doing are completely different things.  
"I'm sorry, Jem," Sam said. "That's the way it happens sometimes."  
"I know," I responded. "It still hurts…"  
"Jem, do you know what I would recommend doing?" Emily asked I looked at her curious on how she was going to recommend. "Poetry can help you get things out."  
"Really?"  
"Yes, really." Emily answered, determined.  
We stopped near Miss Maudie's house, and we said our goodbyes to Emily and then we walked home.

I didn't say a thing at dinner, and Atticus, Dill, and Scout didn't bother me, which I was thankful for. I walked to my room, and Sam followed me inside; Sam was like a college roommate, he slept on a bed that was on the other side of the room.  
"I'm here to listen." Sam stated. "Just let me know when you need me."  
"I thought of a poem." I said. "If you want to hear it, you have to make a deal not to mention this again."  
"Alright, go ahead."  
I sat down on the bed, and began telling the poem I made up in my head:

" _I have wished before,  
_ _I will wish no more._

 _Love, look away!  
_ _Love, look away from me.  
_ _Fly, when you pass my door,  
_ _Fly and get lost at sea._

 _Call it a day.  
_ _Love, let us say we're through.  
_ _No good are you for me,  
_ _No good am I for you.  
_

 _Wanting you so,  
_ _I try too much.  
_ _After you go,  
_ _I cry too much._

 _Love, look away.  
_ _Lonely though I may be,  
_ _Leave me and set me free,  
_ _Look away, look away, look away from me."_

Sam was a man of his word, and he turned off his reading lamp, as did I. I try and sleep while thinking about what my life with Julie could've been.


	17. What's The Use Of Wondering?

The next morning, Dill came in to check on me. I didn't want to be bothered, but I didn't feel like arguing, so I just let him come in, even though I just wanted to be alone.  
"I heard about Julie…" Dill said. "Can't say I know how it feels, but I am sorry that it happened."  
"It kind of makes you wonder, don't it?" I asked.  
"Yeah," Dill answered. "But what's the use of wondering?"  
"Pardon?"  
"What's the use of wondering if she's good or if she's bad? She's your girl and you love her, that's all there is to that."  
"You make it sound so simple, but its common sense that we weren't meant to be." I responded.  
"Jem, common sense may tell you that the ending will be sad, and now's the time to break and run away. But what's the use of wondering if the ending will be sad? You're her feller and you love her, there's nothing more to say."  
"She doesn't think we can last, Dill," I said. "Because her past makes her believe that she can't love someone, or at least that was what she thought before I started dating her."  
"Something made her that way that she is, whether she's false or true, and something gave her things that are hers, one of those things is you, so when she want's your kisses, you'll give them to the girl, and anywhere you lead her, she will walk. And anytime she needs you, you'll go running there like mad. She's your girl and you're her feller, and all the rest is talk." Dill patted me on the shoulder, and smiled.  
"You're right," I said. "She needs my help, I can't let her leave town!"  
"If you leave now, you can make it!" Dill stated.  
"Thanks Dill." I said.  
"No problem," Dill responded. "Now go get your girl!"  
I ran out the house, and to the train station; it was a 15 minute run, and when I got there I saw that Julie was still there, and without thinking I call out her name: "Julie!"  
She looked at me confused, and I could tell that she didn't expect to see me.


	18. I Have A Love

"What are you doing here, Jem?" Julie asked, surprised to see me.  
"I want to help you, Julie." I answered. "I was too dull to realize that you lost your innocence as well."  
"No one can understand me, Jem…" Julie stated, coldly. "Not even you…"  
"That doesn't matter!" I said, firmly. Julie looked surprised and I soften my tone. "Being with you is all that matters to me…"  
"Jem…" Julie said. "Why do you want to help me so badly?"  
"Because I have also lost my innocence." I answered. "Julie, you don't have to go anywhere, you can stay right here. It's not much, but its home…"  
"Yeah…" Julie looked out at the distance. "I guess it is…"  
"So, will you stay?" I asked.  
"On a few conditions." Julie answered.  
"If you want to go on your terms, then I'll abide." I said, smiling.  
"With me it's all or nothing, you have to promise to love me and to never stray, keep those promises and I'll stay, if you don't, I'm out."  
I grab her hands, and I tell her: "I promise you that I will never stray from you."  
Julie pulls me in, and says: "Then I'm staying."  
We kissed, and we walked back home hand in hand. Right then and there, I knew we would be okay.


	19. Epilogue

It was now May 9th, and I decided to give Julie's present early.  
"Hey Julie," I said. "Happy birthday."  
I showed her a small box, and I told her to open it. She did so, and she saw that it was a ring with a emerald gemstone inside of it.  
"Jem, it's beautiful, thank you…" Julie said, hugging me.  
I wanted to ask her the question, but I didn't want to rush it. Although, I was curious on what she would say.  
"Jem, we should get married." Julie said. "That's what are you thinking, right?"  
"You're psychic?" I joked.  
"No! I just know you so well." Julie answered, smirking.  
"Well, if you want to get married, then consider that ring our engagement ring." I stated.  
"I will…" Julie responded.

A few years passed, and we got married in a church. She wore a beautiful white dress that day, I had Dill as my best man, and she wanted her wedding ring to be my birthstone, so I gave her an amethyst ring, and we started on our way.

A few more years passed, and we soon bore a child; it was a boy, and we named him in Shaun Atticus Finch, and he looked a lot like me, our family was happy, and so were we, and there was nothing that was ever going to change that.


End file.
